“What are you doing?! Let go, Yan Bei!” Wei Xicheng hissed.
“This minister is assisting His Majesty in dressing.” Yan Bei repeated, though this time, his voice lacked the composure of before. The high humidity made his already hoarse voice sound even rougher.
Wei Xicheng was completely fed up with this world’s Yan Bei. If he wanted to do something, then just do it. If he didn’t, then let go quickly. Why was he teasing him like this, only to pretend to be some virtuous gentleman? He was left hanging, neither here nor there, and it was agonizing, okay?!
Feeling certain changes in his body, Wei Xicheng realized he’d truly shot himself in the foot. Even with Yan Bei’s frigid attitude, he still reacted? What the hell.
“Let go of me, now!”
Hearing the irritation and impatience in Wei Xicheng’s tone, Yan Bei finally loosened his grip after giving a light squeeze.
Wei Xicheng shuddered and nearly lost his balance. If not for the quick reflexes of the man behind him catching him in time, he might have fallen flat on his face—an embarrassment utterly unfit for an emperor.
“Yan Bei, how dare you! Do you not want your head anymore?!” Wei Xicheng seized the rare chance to act like a true emperor, but in reality, he just wanted to throw a little tantrum at Yan Bei to cover up his earlier reaction.
Thinking of this, he secretly scorned himself—so pretentious. First, he was the one who provoked Yan Bei, and now he was the one acting all aloof. Who knew what Yan Bei must think of him.
“Raise your arm.”
Wei Xicheng obediently lifted one arm, and a sleeve was slipped on.
“The other one.”
“Oh.”
—
Outside the door, Xiao Taozi was pacing back and forth like an ant on a hot pan, beads of sweat covering his forehead. At this moment, all he could do was pray that His Majesty would use his usual cleverness and not offend General Yan too badly.
His eyelids had been twitching nonstop since earlier, filling his heart with unease. He knew nothing good would come from being sent away to fetch clothes. The moment he returned, before he even had time to process the fact that His Majesty had gone to find General Yan completely naked, another disaster had already struck.
Xiao Taozi wanted to slap himself awake.
The door creaked open, and the first to step out was a figure dressed in a bright yellow robe. Xiao Taozi didn’t have time to think before he, along with the palace maids and eunuchs waiting behind him, dropped to their knees.
They waited for some time, but only a pair of black boots passed by.
Xiao Taozi stared at the ground in confusion, then suddenly remembered that His Majesty’s boots today were also yellow. He cautiously lifted his gaze—only to see General Yan Bei striding toward the emperor’s bedchamber, carrying someone in his arms.
He rubbed his eyes and focused on the shoes dangling in the air. Who else could it be but their emperor?
No point kneeling anymore. Xiao Taozi got up and trailed behind them at a respectful distance. He was His Majesty’s personal attendant, and although he had spent his life messing around just to entertain the emperor, he had still managed to climb to the highest position.
He knew exactly how far to stay back, how to avoid eavesdropping on conversations that would irritate his masters. Like now—General Yan carrying the emperor like this was completely improper, but Xiao Taozi wasn’t stupid enough to point it out.
One sat on the throne, the most honored in the land; the other held military power strong enough to overthrow the entire empire. Only a fool would dare tell them, You shouldn’t be doing this.
Since General Yan dared to act this way, it meant he had the power to ensure that not a single word of today’s events would spread. What was a little eunuch like him worrying for?
—
Wei Xicheng buried his face in Yan Bei’s chest. He felt like he had completely lost his dignity.
Just now, he had been ordered around—lift your arms, lift your legs—and had actually complied like an obedient child. His authority as emperor was nonexistent in front of Yan Bei. Even when he coldly scolded the man a few times, he had no idea which phrase had somehow hit Yan Bei’s gay nerve, but the next second, he was bent over and smacked twice on the rear.
Unthinkable. Absolutely unthinkable.
If he were just some ordinary man in this world, that would be one thing—but he was the emperor. The emperor!
Wei Xicheng felt like Yan Bei had completely ruined his life.
From the moment he arrived in this world, he had never once properly played the role of the emperor he had transmigrated into. If the original owner were still here, what would he have done after getting smacked on the butt by Yan Bei?
Of course, he would roll up his sleeves and fight back. Even if he couldn’t win, the original host had the temper of a little tyrant—he would never back down.
But Wei Xicheng himself? He had been so caught up in his own personal emotions that he shamefully endured it.
Thinking back on it now, Wei Xicheng felt that the man currently holding him was nothing but a stumbling block in his imperial career.
With that in mind, he quickly looked up and made a face at Yan Bei’s chin. In the next second, his cheek was pinched.
“Ow!”
The grip loosened slightly, but the man’s words remained as sharp as ever.
“As an emperor, every word and action is recorded by the imperial scribe. Your Majesty must remember not to act recklessly and injure yourself again.”
… Wei Xicheng had never met anyone who could lie through their teeth as smoothly as Yan Bei.
“Does Your Majesty understand?” Yan Bei’s hand gave a light squeeze to his leg. Wei Xicheng bared his teeth and buried his face even deeper into Yan Bei’s chest.
“Understood…”
“From now on, this minister will personally ensure Your Majesty’s safety. This empire still needs you, do not belittle yourself.” Yan Bei paused before adding, “No matter what others say, you are exceptional.”
“Oh,” Wei Xicheng muttered sullenly.
Yan Bei’s legs were long, and with his deliberate quickened pace, the journey that would have taken Wei Xicheng a while to walk was cut in half.
He strode into the emperor’s bedchamber with a natural ease, not the slightest discomfort—more familiar with this place than even Wei Xicheng himself.
Wei Xicheng sneered. He rolled onto his dragon bed, pulling the brocade blanket over himself.
“Get out.”
Xiao Taozi, who had just stepped in, shivered in shock. Was His Majesty telling him to get out?
“Did you not hear?” General Yan’s voice rang out, making Xiao Taozi curse himself again. What is wrong with me these past two days?
As if the emperor would really kick General Yan out.
Despite being spoiled rotten since childhood, only those close to the emperor knew how much he admired General Yan. If not for being born royal, and restrained by the empress dowager, he might have already run off to the border to be a foot soldier.
Xiao Taozi didn’t need to think twice. He swiftly rolled out of the room, even thoughtfully closing the door behind him—giving his master and General Yan some quality time together.
Wei Xicheng, furious, threw a pillow. Forget “We”—he couldn’t even be bothered to say “I”!
“I meant you!”
Yan Bei raised an eyebrow, watching the little emperor puff up like an angry kitten—no trace of a ruler’s dignity left.
“What about me?” Yan Bei had no patience for playing the monarch-and-minister game any longer. After these past few days of observation, plus this half-day of interaction, he could tell that while the young emperor lacked the talent to govern, his personality wasn’t bad. He had a quick temper but wasn’t cruel.
With that in mind, he caught the little kitten’s slow-motion swipe toward him.
“That’s not how you do it. You should—do it like this.”
He struck out, his fist stopping just past Wei Xicheng’s ear.
In the young emperor’s wide, stunned eyes, Yan Bei’s figure became impossibly clear.
Flirting Without Follow-Through
“I say, General Yan Bei, did you get injured somewhere you shouldn’t have on the battlefield?” Wei Xicheng’s voice gradually faded as he noticed the increasingly dangerous look in the man’s eyes.
“Ahem, I was just joking—mmph.” Wei Xicheng’s eyes were filled with laughter.
When their lips met, Yan Bei felt as if he had gone mad. Schemes, power struggles, the empire—he overturned them all in his heart. At that moment, he thought, if he could just have a taste of this little emperor, what were military authority and the imperial seal worth?
Wei Xicheng used all his strength to push the man aside, then flipped over and pinned him down instead. “General Yan, do you realize this is treason?”
Yan Bei responded with a low chuckle.
Unwilling to give up, Wei Xicheng leaned closer to Yan Bei’s face. “Look at me carefully. Who am I?”
“You are my emperor.”
Though he didn’t get the answer he wanted, Wei Xicheng was still quite satisfied with this one. What he didn’t see was the deep ambition and unwavering determination in Yan Bei’s eyes as he said it.
“What does Your Majesty desire?”
“I…” Wei Xicheng flipped over and lay beside Yan Bei, hands tucked behind his head, staring blankly at the golden canopy above. “I don’t want anything.”
“Is that so?”
“I want you.” Wei Xicheng turned to face Yan Bei, staring at him. “They say that whoever wins over General Yan Bei wins the world. Is that true, my dear minister?”
“Heh… it is.”
—
Gradually, the ministers of the court began to notice a change during morning assemblies. The most influential officials seemed to be subtly aligning themselves with Yan Bei.
In the past, Yan Bei had spent most of his time stationed at the borders, rarely appearing in the capital or participating in court affairs. He had never been particularly close to any of the senior scholars, making him seem like nothing more than a battle-hardened soldier—good looks wasted on a brute who only knew how to fight.
But now, even those who had always remained neutral were whispering with Yan Bei before court started.
“The Emperor arrives—”
Eunuch Xiao Tao’s voice echoed through the halls, reaching all the way to the court.
The ministers quickly stood in their assigned places, waiting for their young, carefree emperor.
Yan Bei straightened his sleeves and stood even taller.
Wei Xicheng took his seat on the high dragon throne, surveying the court below. No matter how far apart they were, Yan Bei still managed to stand out in his line of sight.
“My loyal ministers, speak if you have matters to present.”
Yan Bei’s lips curled slightly—so fast it could have been an illusion. At least now, the young emperor could speak in proper courtly language instead of blurting out things like “Spit it out if you’ve got something to say.” That was… progress.
“Your Majesty, I have a matter to raise.”
An elderly official with a white beard stepped forward. “The imperial harem remains empty, which is improper. Your Majesty should consider selecting consorts to ensure the continuation of the royal bloodline.”
Yan Bei’s expression grew colder as he looked up at the throne.
Wei Xicheng discreetly raised a middle finger under his sleeve. It wasn’t his idea, so why was Yan Bei glaring at him? Besides, in all the worlds he had been to, this was the most cowardly version of his lover. They had already bathed together and shared a bed, yet Yan Bei still hadn’t dared to make a move.
He cleared his throat twice. “Minister Song’s words are reasonable. However, this matter requires careful consideration. I will consult the Empress Dowager before giving you an answer.”
—
Excerpt from The Wei Emperor’s Daily Life Chronicles, Volume Twelve:
“The Emperor and General Yan are close; they often sleep with their feet touching.” —Youlebei
Wei Xicheng couldn’t go a day without stirring up trouble—he felt itchy all over if he didn’t.
No, this wasn’t an illness. He simply wanted some energy.
